WOW! That is a cute little shawette but the pattern seems hard to understand. I’ve been studying it over and trying to understand what is happening. This paragraph by the designer is helpful:
The fichu has a center panel with a ripple wave pattern, started from the bottom edge with a provisional cast-on. As a result of its biased effect, the panel itself has slightly wavy edges. After working the center panel and reaching the top edge, the next step is doing a preparation row for both the neck edge and the upper knitted-on trim. Then you’ll work the knit-on trim, a trellis pattern, around the panel in two stages: First from A to B via the lower edge, then A to B again via the neck edge, picking up stitches from the preparation row now. Picking up the other side of the preparation stitches and work the neck edge and ties, soon you’ll have a fichu.
It looks like from that that you knit the trellis pattern (chart B around the bottom first and then around the neck edge to form the little frill or whatever you’d call it hanging from the bottom of the top neck edge. My first guess was do the top one first, but not according to this. Like you said to make the front hang down like it does. But if you do the bottom first does this make any sense? Maybe they both (lower and upper Chart B repeats) have extra stitches for hanging down/drape?
This confused me:
Using backwards loop cast on, cast on 36 stitches, and divide them onto two needles like what you do to the division of neckband/neck trim. Alternatively, you can cast on these stitches on two needles.
By this did she mean to alternate one of the 36 stitches onto each needle like you did or just have 18 on two different needles. :??
And this:
Join 18 stitches each onto the needles/threads of neck trim preparation row and leave the other 18 stitches on a working needle.
Each? I can see join one group of 18 onto the spare needle holding the neck trim preparation row and leaving the other 18 to begin working on but that word each confuses me. But then you are supposed to be doing the bottom trim first not the neck trim. 
This whole part is a bit confusing:
Combining double joins (DJ thereafter: work a regular knitted-on border as the previous rows, but on the next WS row, work a second join in the same way and into the same stitch—4 border rows joined to one stitch of center panel), and triple joins (TJ thereafter: work a double join, and on the next WS row, work a third join in the same way and into the same stitch—6 border rows joined to one stitch of center panel) around the corner, adjusting to your own liking.
I worked two triple joints to connect with the last two stitches on the side, then I removed the waste yarn to reveal the live stitches at the cast-on edge, and do another triple join to join the first live stitch.
One full repeat of the trim pattern.
For the next trim repeat, do the following: double join, triple join, double join, single join and single join.
Then work another triple join, one double join, and continue working the regular (single) join until 7 live stitches left before reaching the edge of the second corner.
Work as followed: 4 DJ, TJ, DJ, TJ. Work 2 TJ with the other edge of the panel.
It sounds like the numbers of stitches don’t line up one for one so she did all this jockeying around to get them to come out even and in the note at the bottom she says you can do it anyway you can figure out that works. A bit scary.
I’m thinking that somehow you have 18 stitches on each side of the bottom part and again when you do the top part to get the drape, and just wing it following the pattern the best you can.
I’m no help at all I know, but I don’t get it and if you are on a time restraint you might find a pattern that is a bit clearer and easier to follow. It’s really cute, but how she did it. :shrug:
About the Thanks numbers. Just ignore them, that’s what we all do. 
It has something to do with how many times you have thanked other people and how many times they have thanked you, but nobody tries to get high “scores” or pays much attention to them. You may have said thank you in a post (which is more personal and I actually like better) but the "thanks don’t get “measured” by the computer unless you hit the little “Thanks” spot under a post. Don’t worry, you’re fine.
Have you thought of trying Ravelry to see if anyone else has made this pattern who might be able to shed some light on what is supposed to be done?
Oh my gosh, I am so confused! You are confirming what I was fearing–the pattern is as clear as mud. I did visit Ravelry and found the same. I am grateful for the link to the schematic. I had been searching everywhere for A and B. I am going to give it one more shot tonight and if I can’t figure it out, I will have to find something else. My daughter is getting married Oct. 1, and wants to wear this with her wedding gown if it is chilly. We were both so excited about it, but after almost 3 weeks, I need to move on. I am a meticulous but slow knitter, and life is crazy!